Reenforced concrete vessel



REENFORGED CONCRETE VESSEL May 29, 1923.

SIMPSOVN Filed Jan. 2, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 29, 1923. 1,457,006

J. T. SIMPSON REENFORCED CONCRETE VESSEL Filed Jan. 2, 1918 2SheAets-Shee't 2 C TT' g c Kga d a '5519 22 P f2 p 2 `v'but showingtheffeld molded elementsonly.

Patented 29, 1923.

` miENEOECED CONCRETE vEssEL. A 'i JOHNKT. siiiirsoiitjorjy'iiiiiianzinVNEW JERSEY. f

ApplicationY linedJfnmarya, 191s. Lserial Nol 209,817.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known thal, JOHN T. SIMPSON, a

citizen of the United 'States,` residing at Newark, in the county oftEssex and-State ot Yew Jersey, have invented aycertain new and usefulImprovement in Reenorced Concrete Vessels of-which the tol-lowing is aspecification.

`My invention *relatesl to reenforced concrete structuresand morelparticularly to vessels for marine transportation.` The object'l havein 'view is the production of aV boat composed of shopc'ast ai'id'iieldvcast elements7 the Ashop cast partsbeing inrela'-l tively small pieceswhereby better and faster work may be accomplished and whereindefectswill be easier to ind, and rejected parts willbe small and relativelyinexpensive.`

A further objectv is the production of standardized construction whereinthey prinf cipal. parts may lbe manufactured vat convenient points andshipped inknock-down.. condition to the assembling point at-the1Waterside.

'Another object isk the product-ion'ofship plates of reenforced concreteand to provide means for securing such plates to the ribs and Abeams ofa vessel in such. af-manner as to preventleakage between the plates andto revent racking and breaking up of the plJ ture.

i These and lfurther objects will morefully appear in the followingspecification andv accompanying drawings-considered together orseparateli n Y l I have illustrated my invention-in .the laccompanying drawingsin which similar reference .characters are appliedv to corre-' spondingparts in all of lthe several figures,

Y and in which-44 E.

Figure l is a deck plan view of a bargel or lighter embodying jmyinvention,`

Figure 2 is an inboard profile or longitudinal section of the sametaken'on lthe la'rged scale taken on ure l. E E

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 Figure la is a section onthe linewE-Vjavofv Figure 2,'

Figureis a greatly enlargeddetail of;`

that

portion of they structure,inthe circle a ofv ates and othe'i` parts ofthe striic-V .v Y 1 n bling plant-s busy. y.The shop castshape'sa''re'`'few in numberand vessels of any,si ze and"f f vtonnage may beconstructed. .l `'.lheliabilityfk of producing defective work willbegredu'ced i rFigure '6 a Ysection on theline .Figure 5,* Figure 7 is asection on theline 7,-*7 o'ff 'isl avdetail section fof a vhatcl ,A

Figure 5,.

y Figure-8 combing,

igure 9v is aj` enlargedisectionallz 'l l view showing thelbottoni-andiside,constriice;

tion'and y Figure. 10- is but showinggainodiiic-ation.gf. i

The invention comprises ay buoyant Astruc-Ql tlture. having shop vcastelements and jfieldf cast elements', the Vtwo being` combined-2 and.

permanently connected togethe'rto :formi al a view-similar to ,Figure`9` 'i monolithic construction by the operati-on of:

moldingv the field cast members* @L BY" Sh0P-C1S- Elements I";,mean thSif A portions of the-structure which .are noti.' E molded. during the,Constructionpof the* y, E

vessel. These elements'are manufacturediinl a factorywhich may; be at a'great distanceir-` from thepoint` of assembly-mThey maybe 2 f' machinecastin a well equipped shop. Each of `the`ditferent shapes 'required.will whether exact counterpart-'of the other. shapes of its size. l Thesurfacesy vwill .be' ,smooth The? parts may be articiallydried andseasoned? thereby speeding :up construction.l Thefcost'f will be greatlyreduced. .Onefshop mayfturn out sutlicient shapes to keepseveralpassem4V facilitated.

1 toa minimum and inspection ywillloe greatlyilv .E

' By field-ca-st." elements I mean Vthose structure; The v vield cast:and shop vcast elementsv are iturthe'r locked together toVv l preventseparation of the parts ldue {to I' i.

The shop cast. elements form part'otthe']v mold of the other elementsand the ,wetted portion of kthe hull of the vessellis composed'.-

strains.

entirelyiof shop' cast elements.

IInl the drawings 1. .designates barge or lighter which may be of, anydesired y length, beamy andi depthnof hold.` Theil-hull Y is eomposedofdeck plates 2, side plates 8 "the plates at the corners are curved togive and bottom plates 4, all composed of shop cast reenforced concreteslabs. Each of the skin plates, except the midship rows extend p inglengthwise ofthe vessel `from the deck line forward to the decklinel'aftl and ruri` ning along the bottomand the top row of plates, isprovided with a flange 5 on one side'Y thereof: adjacenty the edgethereof and surrounding the plate. Each of the flanged edges ofthe'plateV is provided with a recess 6 extending the entire edge of theplate. The recess therefore forms a groove extending entirely around theplates. mentioned'.-v lVVh'en the plates are placed side by side'and endto end there will be a recess double the depth of each groove at thejoin ingedges of the'plates. The overall dimension 0f the flanged sideof each plate being` atr'ifle A4less than that of the plate, a slot 't'will: beformed at each joint and the slots will.` communicate with therecesses.

The top line 8 of plates have the flanges 5 extendi'ngaround three sidesonly, the fourth or top side being unflanged for a purpose to b'eVhereinafterspecified. i rlhe two midship rows 9'of plates are providedwith a flange 5 and a recess 6 on three sidesv only. The

fourth side of each plate 9 is provided with anY enlargement 10 on theside'opposite the flange 5. The enlargement 10 extends along one side ofthe plate andthe edge of the eni largement is provided with a recess 6a.The

edge of the enlargement extends a short distance beyond that edge of theplate. When the'p'lat'es 9 are assembled with the edges of theenlargements 10 in contact a slbt 11 `willbeformedand will permit accessto the recess 6a.

Theffianges' are rounded at their crests ahd theV sides thereof mergeinto the surfaces of thefplates in curved lines as shown.

, The plates 6, 8' andl 9 are of the shape desired. In a barge, asyillustrated, most of them are flat. Those joining the side and bottomplates may be angular or curved and the vessel a rounded form fore andaft. It

' will be understood that the plates may be made of any shape in orderthat the vessel may have the conventional shapes of bows and stern.

k:the surface of the plate.

In assembling, the midship rows of plates including the curved platesforming the lowermost partsy of the forward and after ends of thestructure are placed in position on the i ways'from which the vessel isto be launched.

The flanges 10 of the plates will form the false keel. The recess 6? andslot 11 extending fore and aft and the recesses 6 and slots 7 betweenthe individual plates of the rows are then tightly caulked preferablywith a mixture 0f pitch and oakum. The bottom lates d and the curvedplates forming partly bottom and partly side, bow and stern plates'a'replaced in position and the recesses 6 and slots 7 are caulked as before.

A pair of mold boards properly spaced apart and enclosingthe slot 11 areplaced in position extending the entire length of the vessel. This moldwill be carried upward at the ends to formk the lower portions of thestem and stern post. This mold will define the keel 12 of the vesselaswell as the stem and sternpost. A similar mold will be placed over eachlongitudinal seam between plates to form longitudinal braces 13.

The athwartship seams are enclosed by similar molds which at the beamendsextend upward. The last mentioned molds will define the ribs 14.

rlhe mold boards are comparatively narrow so that a series of relativelyshallow of `the troughs vertical reinforcing members` extendingto theultimate height of the boat are yplaced in position and interlocked withthe horizontal reinforcing members. projecting reinforcements of theshop cast plates are bent upward into the troughs and The are more orless interlocked, to the members in the troughs.

Concrete ,is nowpoured into the troughs embedding the reinforcenientstherein. Vhen the concrete has reached t the tops of the troughs floorplates 15 are placed in position with their edges resting on the tops ofthose; ribs and longitudinale which are included in the space which isto become the hold of,k The floor plates are composed" the vessel. ofslabs of reenforced concrete with the reinforcements projecting from theedges thereof so that when the plates are in position the saidreinforcements will project into` the spaces between the plates.Concrete `is now poured into the spaces between the edges of the platesto embed the projecting rein-r forcements and make a flush floorsurface;

Shallow troughs open at top and bottom` are now placed on the floornien'ibersover the ribs thus far cast and over the keeland certain ofthe other longitudinal members. These troughs arenow filled withconcrete to a predetermined level. Fore andaft` bulk-il j heads 16 arenow placed in position resting on the ield cast members so far cast.Athwartship bulkheads 17 are similarly placed in position on certain ofthe ribs 14;. These bulkheads are slabs of reenforced concrete with vthereinforcements projecting from their edges. The troughs are now filledwith concrete which will embed the lower edges of the bulkheads and thereinforcements projecting from those jedges. The vertical edges of thebulkheads are ynot in contact with each other but there are spacesbetween them into which the reinforcements project.

At eachof the junctions of the ribs and the longitudinal iield castmembers` a vertical mold isconstructed to deline a stanchion which willembed thev contiguous vertical edges Vof the bulkheadsV andI theirprojecting reinforcements and Vthe vertical reinforcements standing atsuch junctions.

Side, bow and sterny plates up to the irst seam above the bottom'areplaced in position andthe seams are caulked as before. The verticalseams will comeopposite the ribs and longitudinals and the troughsofthese members will be extended .up almost to the horizontal seambetween the plates. A trough comprising a bottom memberand side memberopposite the plates is now placed in position entirely around theAinsideof the vessel and communicates with the ribs and longitudinaltroughs. Reinforcements are placed in this trough and it is filled withconcrete embedding the reinforcements and covering the caulked seam andforming a ribbon entirely around the ship. This operation is repeateduntil the sides, bowsand stern have reached the desired height. As'thesides rise the concrete is poured into .the stanchion, rib

and longitudinal molds to keep pace with the 'growth of the sides... Thetop row Vof plates has no interior rib along the top edge but is' plainwith its reinforcement projecting in the plane of the plates.

A sill mold is now built entirely around the vessel enclosing the topedgesof the upper row of plates and their projecting re-` inforcements.rlroughs corresponding in position to the ribs are placed in position4acrossthe vesselV and other troughs corresponding in position to thekeel and othery longitudinals are placed in position running fore andaft. These troughs allI communicate at their junctions. At the pointswhere the troughs communicate form triangular bracing memberswithfthestanchions. The bulkheads project through the bottoms of thelongitudinal and lateral troughs. Reinforcements are placed in all ofthetroughs and the reinforcements engage at crossings.

At certain points hatch combing molds are secured in position in linewith the tops of the deck beam troughs. The lower, outer withv stanchiontroughs they are deepened tol edges of the combing molds terminateshort.

ofthe bottom of the molds.

. T he deck plates 2 arenow placed-in position restingunder the outeredges of the `combing troughs and upon the other troughs but with spacesbetween contiguous edges troughsand illing the same, embedding the upperedges ofthe vbulkheads and side plates and. their projectingreinforcements and the reinforcements of the ribsand longitudinals. Theconcrete in thelongitudinal and lateraly troughswill form deck beams 18.The concrete in thesill troughs will inforcements of allof the verticalelements.

.Concrete is, also poured into thebcombing troughs Iembeddingthe,reinfor'c'ementsv of the combing and thel projecting reinforcefandforming a' mentsV of .the kdeck plates raised hatch combing 20.-

A wear strip 2l of ,wood kis placed around the outside of the sill andisfsecured in position on the bolts projecting therefrom.

A ldressing 22 of c oncrete is placed over the entire deck to give fit afinished appearance. j y I .The central'v bulkhead extends'the lentire lform ay heavy sill 19 extending entirely around the, vessel andembedding the re-l length of the vessel to form a collision bulkhead.The lateral cbulkheads:extend entirely across the boat to increase the;

strength. The bulkheads form -water.-` tight compartments forfca'rgospace.

., In the modification shown in FigurelO `f the floor is extended tocover the entireinterior of the 'vesseland an inner yskin 23. is secured1n placeto theinner sides Vof the ribs and longitudinals in the samemanner that the floor platesv are positioned.

It will beseen that the skin surface of the'vesselis composed entirelyof shop cast elements and beingshop vcast they maybe constructed in muchbetter'mannerl thanis possible with the rough work done inthe field. Themoldsrv from which they are made need not be temporary structures vsuchLas are .necessary held work. The` plates may be madel underv pressurewhereby a] morev homogeneous structure willbe pro'-v duced. f Vessels ofany Ysize bel built without changing the plant by' simply using agreater or. smaller number ofplates'.

By employing relatively small l plates in.`

the construction, a certain vamount of lle'x-` ibility isimparted to thevessel. The caulking in the seams will permit slight movement of theplates and will prevent leakage even when the plates are not in actualconmet. This aesibiiay or the hun is important as it permits the vesselto work7 In accordance with the provisions of' the patent statutes Ihave described the principle of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent' the best embodimentthereof,but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown ismerely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in otherways'.

I-Iaving now described what I claim as new and desire to secure. byLetters Patent is:

l, A vessel comprising field molded reenforlced concrete field castelements, and shopcast reenforced concrete plates of relatively smallsize, said members and plates being united to form a monolithicstructure said plates forming theskin surface of the vessel, theexterior keel of the vessel being formed on the shop eastV plates.

2. A vessel comprising field molded reenforced concrete field castelements, and reenforced concrete plates of relatively small size, saidmembers and plates being united to form a monolithic structure, saidplates forming the skin surface of the vessel, contiguous edges of theplates having grooves for the reception of a. caulking material toprevent leakage at the seams, there being slots between the platespermitting access to the grooves, the field cast members covering saidslots'.

3. A. vessel comprising field molded reenf'orced concrete field castelements and reenforced concrete plates of relatively small size, saidkmembers and plates being united to form a monolithic structure, saidplates i forming the skin surface of the vessel, contiguous edges of'the plates having grooves for the reception of acaulking material toprevent leakage at the seams, there being slots between the platespermitting access to the grooves, the said slots being covered by saidVfield cast members, flanges on said plates, the reinforcements of theplates projecting through the flanges and into the field cast elements.

4. A vessel comprising field molded vreenforced concretey elements, andshop cast reenforced concrete plates of relatively small size and ofrectangular shape, said elements and pla-tes being molded to form amonoli thic structure, said plates forming the entire skin surface ofthe vessel, contiguous edges of'y the plates having grooves therein, oneside of' each plate being of less area than the other whereby when theplates are assembled edge-to-edge slots permitting access to the groovesfrom one side of the plates will be formed, lianges on that side of eachplate having the smaller area and contiguous to the edges of the plate,the said slots and flanges being covered by the field molded elements,the reinforcements of the plates extending into the elements.

5. A vessel comprising field molded reenforced concrete elements, andshop cast reenforced concrete plates of relatively small size and ofrectangular shape, saidelements and plates being molded to form amonolithic structure, said plates forming the entire skin surface of thevessel, contiguous edges of the plates having grooves therein, one sideof each plate being of less area than the other whereby when the platesare assembled edge-to-edge slots permitting access to the grooves fromone side of the plates will be formed, flanges on that side of eachplate having the smaller area and contiguous to the edges of the plate,the said flanges being rounded, the said slots and flanges being coveredby the field molded elements, the reinforcements of the plates extendinginto the elements.

6A A vessel comprising field cast reenforced concrete longitudinal,lateral and vertical elements, and shop cast reenforced concrete platesof relatively small area, flanges on the inner sides of the plates, saidplates forming the entire` outer skin of the vessel, means for caulkingthe seams between the plates, said seams being covered by the field castelements, reenforced concrete deck plates having hatches therein, fieldcast combngs for said hatches and permanently united with said deckplates, water-tight bulkheads within the hull, an inner skin for thevessel spaced from the outer skin to form a double hull, said inner skinbeing of plates of reinforced concrete of approximately the samesize asthe outer plates, said field cast elements lying between the inner andouter plates and covering the seams betweenthe plates, the edges of thelast mentioned plates being embedded in the field cast elements, saidfield cast elements, inner and outer skin plates, deck plates, bulkheadsand hatch combings being united to form a monolithic structure.

This specification signed and witnessed this 31st day of December, 1917.

JOHN T. SIMPSON. Witnesses A. E.' BENTON, .I G. MGDERMOTT.

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